Fiscal deficit for April-February touches 135.2% of Revised Estimates

The Centre’s fiscal deficit for April-February came in at Rs 10.36 trillion or 135.2 per cent of the full year’s Revised Estimates (RE), compared with 134.2 per cent for the same period last year. This was primarily on the back of higher expenditure and lower capital receipts.

The data released by the Controller General of Accounts on Tuesday shows that to meet the RE for 2019-20, the central government will have to garner Rs 5.03 trillion in total revenues in March. The month has seen the worst phase of the Covid-19 pandemic so far, and the resultant lockdown.

Unless a highly-unlikely scenario